Terry Rozier’s Remarkable Postseason Rebounding

Terry Rozier has been a difference maker for the Boston Celtics, and it all starts with his rebounding

Terry Rozier had a fairly unremarkable regular season. It was an improvement from his rookie year, but a tepid one at best. He struggled offensively, knocking down only 36.7 percent of his shots from the field and 31.8 percent from behind the three-point arc, and he continued to battle the fits of indecision that marred his inaugural campaign. Still, Rozier worked hard on defense, hit the glass, and presumably showed enough development to secure a role with the team next year.

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His presence in the playoffs, it was to be assumed, would be limited to empty minutes at the end of lopsided games- a reduced role resulting from a shortened rotation. That’s not how things have played out though. In fact, Rozier has actually averaged more minutes in the postseason. All of which he has earned through high quality play.

However unexpectedly, Rozier’s biggest impact has been in cleaning the defensive glass. At just 6’2”, his contributions on the boards have been astonishing. For the postseason, Rozier is second on the Celtics in both defensive rebounding percentage and defensive rebounds per 36 minutes (for anyone to play more than 20 minutes). With Rozier on the floor, Boston has grabbed 73.9 percent of available defensive rebounds. They’ve managed to secure only 66.2 percent with him off. Good for a difference of 7.7 percent.

That’s incredibly meaningful, and it’s influencing the team’s defensive performance significantly. Units featuring playoff Rozier are giving up, on average, 15.6 less points per 100 possessions. Obviously there are multiple factors influencing that mark, but being able to end possessions without giving away extra opportunities is huge. It allows the Celtics to leverage their above average competence in defending in the half-court. Defenders conserve energy, and benefits compound accordingly. Boston’s rebounding with Rozier isn’t perfect. Actually, it’s still pretty awful, but it’s not equivalent to the overwhelming self sabotage it represents with him off the court.

Rozier’s offensive efficiency has taken off in the postseason as well, making the idea of keeping him on the court for his rebounding a far more palatable one than it may have been just a few weeks ago. He’s significantly outpacing his regular season shooting percentages from the field, the three-point line, and the charity stripe. It’s translated in the form of a 17.0 PER, an outrageous improvement from the 9.0 mark he posted prior to postseason play.

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Exactly what to make of all of this is a matter of perspective. The seven playoff games Rozier has played thus far make for an incredibly small sample size, and relying on a diminutive (for NBA standards) guard to be a leading rebounder is likely not a tenable long-term solution. Rozier is, however, the solution the Celtics have right now, and he’s filling his role incredibly well.